Resolutions
by Cassie Valentine
Summary: Written for M&M Vermelha in the Reunited And It Feels So Good LL ficathon. While Lorelai and Christopher's relationship has resolved, her unresolved feelings for Luke rear their ugly head.
1. Chapter 1

Thanks, as always, to Ky for the hand holding and butt kicking and Allie, my Super Beta.

* * *

Lorelai heaved a sigh as she signed her name on the last page of the divorce papers. She smiled politely and shook the lawyer's hand as he handed her a copy and wished her luck in any and all future endeavors.

She headed slowly for the car, the large manila envelope banging lightly against her leg as she walked. Tossing it casually onto the passenger seat of the jeep, she got in and shut the door.

Lorelai hesitated before putting the key in the ignition and turned her attention to the envelope again as she dropped the keys into her lap.

She picked it up and looked at it for a moment. There was nothing special to this envelope; it was like every other manila envelope she had ever seen. Her name and a few other personal details were on a white label in the middle. The lawyer's address and whatnot was in the left hand corner.

But it still held her attention.

With another sigh she dug her cell phone out of her purse and hit the speed dial.

"Hello?"

"Hey Rory," she said as she sat back in the seat, feeling like a weight had been lifted.

"Hey!" she said happily. "What's up?"

"Well, I'm sitting here in the jeep, and I have a rather imposing envelope staring at me."

"Right. That was today, wasn't it?" Rory asked as she stopped working on the article in front of her. She had nearly forgotten that her mother was signing the last of the papers today.

"It was," she said. "We are, once again, the single Gilmore Girls. Well, not really single-single, but with Logan still in London, we can pretend."

"Are you okay?" she asked. "I'm not really doing anything important. I could stop by and we could grab some coffee or something."

"I'm okay," she said with a smile. "Really. I think I'm just going to go and see Paul Anka."

"Are you sure?" Rory asked again. She had just had coffee with Christopher a few days ago after he had completed this very event.

He was more than a little worried that Rory was going to be distant after the divorce and he had needed more than a little reassurance.

"I'm sure, kid," she said with a small smile. "I should run. My parking meter time is just about up."

"Oh, okay. Well, give me a call later. I am definitely free this weekend for some serious movie/junk food action."

"Will do, sweets. Talk to you later," she said as they both signed off.

She tossed the phone back in her purse and looked at the envelope again for a moment before tossing it carelessly into the back seat. Turning on the radio, she was pleasantly surprised to hear The Bangles blaring back at her.

* * *

"So, anything exciting happen this week? Lorelai?" Emily asked without tact, staring directly at her daughter.

Lorelai choked a little on her wine. She knew that her mother would be dying to know about the divorce proceedings, but she had hoped she'd be a little more sensitive. But with her father away on business, there was no one to rein her in.

"Well?"

"Can you give me a minute? I'm trying to choke myself here," she said as she got herself under control.

"Nothing special. I signed the papers a few days ago and I am back to plain, old, disappointing Lorelai Gilmore," she said with a shrug as she picked her fork back up to play with her beets.

Emily raised an eyebrow and was about to open her mouth when Rory stepped in and deflected the conversation toward herself, sparing her mother.

Lorelai sighed a little as she continued to play with her beets. She hated beets. She was surprised her mother was serving them, given their tendency to make everything a reddish-purple color.

She half-listened to Rory's tale about Paris' latest escapades while she tried to come up with ways of getting out of diner early. Unfortunately couldn't come up with any, and soon found herself being ushered back into the living room for after-dinner drinks.

"What?" she asked as she jerked her head up from her drink when she heard Rory calling her.

"I said it's getting late, don't you think?" Rory asked again, hoping Lorelai would pick up on her meaning.

"Yes. Late. You're right, and we should go," she said setting her drink down on the end table and standing up. Emily walked them to the door and the maid of the week brought their coats. While Rory slipped out, Emily held Lorelai back.

"Are you sure you made the right choice?"

"A little late now, Mom," Lorelai said as she stared at the toes of her pumps for a moment. "Why the sudden interest?"

"Because you seem to be rushing in and out of things lately. You were so sure about Luke, and when that wasn't going as you planned you rushed out of a relationship with him and into one with Christopher. And now you're rushing out of that relationship."

"There was no rushing out with Chris, mom," she said as she put a hand on her hip.

"You weren't even married a year!"

"He started a fistfight with Luke in the middle of the square for no reason! Every time I came home late he was all over me, accusing me of cheating on him with Luke. Every time I wanted to go do something in town and I didn't invite him, it must have been because I was sneaking off to see Luke!

"It didn't matter what I did mom, he was always accusing me, always trying to force me into moving away from Stars Hollow or something else that would make him happy. It didn't really matter that I wanted to stay put with my Inn and my friends. It only mattered what he wanted."

Emily stood quietly for a moment when Lorelai finished.

"Are you done?"

"Yes!" she said, a little louder than necessary.

"Good," she said calmly. "Your father and I are worried. You've never been one to jump in and out of relationships. You've never been one to sit idly by while your life goes in a direction you're not happy with, either," she referenced the recent gulf between her and Luke caused by April.

Lorelai just sighed and looked everywhere but at her mother.

"Perhaps if all you're going to do is sabotage your relationships, you should talk to someone about why."

"I don't sabotage my relationships!"

"Then why did you not insist that Luke let you be part of that girl's life? Why did you not at least compromise on some of the things Christopher wanted?"

Lorelai had no real answer.

"I have to go," she said coldly.

"Rory's waiting," she tacked on before she quickly left the house, being sure to slam the door before stalking to the car.

"Should I drive?" Rory asked when she saw her mother exit the Gilmore mansion.

"Whatever," she said as she tossed Rory the keys and climbed into the passenger seat to sulk during the ride home.

Rory glanced over at her mother several times as they drove from Hartford to Stars Hollow, a concerned look on her face. Lorelai finally snapped as the town square came into view.

"What?" she demanded as she shifted quickly in her seat to look at Rory.

"What did Grandma say to you?" she asked, ignoring the fact that Lorelai had snapped at her.

"Nothing."

"And what part of this nothing has you so down and out?"

"The part where she said I purposefully sabotage my relationships," she finally admitted. She waited for Rory to respond. "You're line is what? She's crazy!," Lorelai prompted.

"Well, what if she's not?" Rory asked in a little voice.

"Rory!"

"Just think about it for a minute!" she called back as they finally drove through the town square. "You didn't event try to argue with Luke about April, and when he wouldn't elope, you went straight to the one person he hates the most in the whole world."

"I think he might hate Hitler more," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. Rory ignored her and kept going.

"And with Dad? Why couldn't you agree to at least paint the bedroom? Or rearrange the furniture to make him happy? Or the wedding party thing Grandma threw the two of you? Why did you have to fight him so long and so hard on everything?" she asked as they drove past Luke's.

Lorelai sighed as she stared out the window. Rory was right. Oh God, that meant her mother was right! Oh God, she just admitted that her mo. . .

Her train of thought abruptly derailed when she saw Luke talking to a woman in his empty diner. She craned her neck around so she could get a better look at them as they drove past.

The woman was seated at the counter and he was behind it, serving her coffee in her mug and offering her the smile he used to save for when he was flirting with her.

Tonight was so not her night.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

"So, uh, do you ever talk to Luke?" Lorelai asked Rory somewhere between the fourth and fifth movie. Rory looked over at her as she popped the last of the mini marshmallows into her mouth.

"Like randomly strike up a conversation or do I talk to him at all?"

"At all," Lorelai clarified as she put the empty marshmallow bowl on the floor and pulled the bowl of Cheetos between them.

"Rarely," she said with a shrug as she picked a cheese puff out of the bowl. "I mean, if I'm eating in the diner, then yeah. He says hi when I stop in to talk to Lane. . . Stuff like that. Why?"

"There was a woman in his diner," Lorelai said, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice.

"Well, lets pause the movie so I can alert the media . . . " Rory said sarcastically. "Oh wait, I am the media! Mission accomplished."

"Not just like a random woman. Possibly Luke's woman."

"Luke has a woman?" she asked, suddenly into this conversation.

"Yeah. That's what I was asking you about, Velma," she said sarcastically.

"Sorry, Daphne. I'll try harder next time. I don't think he's seeing anyone. Lane hasn't mentioned anything."

"That would be because she's been at home with two very small, very angry babies for the last couple of months," Lorelai said with a patronizing smile.

"She stops by the diner. So do Zach, Brian and Gil, and they haven't mentioned anything to her."

"Which really means something given what reliable gossip hounds they all are. Come on Rory!" Lorelai flopped over onto her side on the couch to stare at Rory, who simply stared back at her.

"No," she said quickly shaking her head. "I will not pry into Luke's personal life."

"Then just sit there. You know, a fly on the wall!"

"No way! You want to know, you go ask. You're a big girl now, you don't need mommy to hold your hand," she said comfortingly, patting the back of Lorelai's hand before turning her attention back to the movie.

Lorelai sighed as she turned her attention to the TV and began to pout. Rory noticed the performance after a while.

"Why is this such a big deal?"

"It's not. I just want to know."

"The two of you have been talking. Awkwardly talking, but still talking. Go ask."

"We're not quite passed the 'Hey, coffee please?' 'Yeah, the weather is really weird this year!' conversations yet."

"Are you jealous?"

"Of what?" Lorelai demanded, pausing the movie. Things were getting serious now.

"That Luke may have his personal life in order while yours is not?"

"No, no way Rory," she said confidently. "I am not jealous of Luke. I'm. . . happy for him."

"That was very convincing," she said. "Remind me to talk to the Oscar committee about you the next time I see them," she said, rolling her eyes slightly as she finished.

"Oh, never mind. Just watch the movie, Chatty Kathy," Lorelai muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest and turned her attention fully to the movie.

Rory glanced sideways at her mother, frowning slightly. Something was up. But whether it was about the divorce or about Luke, she couldn't tell.

* * *

The weeks after the divorce slowly passed and as they did, Lorelai began to feel rejuvenated. Her smart quips began to roll freely and quickly from her tongue, her coffee guzzling reached all an all time high, and she began shamelessly flirting with men to get her way again.

Although she hadn't returned to Luke's, she no longer went out of her way to avoid walking past the diner, nor did she turn the other way when she saw him walking down the street.

Things were still awkward between them; more so after the fistfight he and Christopher had had in the town square. She had heard Christopher's version of events, but she wasn't really sure how much stock she put in his story.

Part of her was dying to corner Luke and get his version of events, but the more logical part of her was telling her to just let sleeping dogs lie. She was all for not waking the doggies.

"Are you feeling alright?" Sookie asked her one morning as she came in for her 5th cup of coffee before noon. She had noticed her friend's new and improved mood, but had been reluctant to comment on it, given the off chance that it was all just a cover and she was really aching inside.

"Perfect. Why?" Lorelia asked with a smile as she wandered over to the chef to pick at what ever she was cooking.

"I haven't seen you this happy in a long time, like since you were with Lu. . . " Sookie cut herself off.

"Since I was with Luke? It's okay, he's not taboo," Lorelai assured her with a whisper. "I feel like I did when I was with Luke," she confirmed.

"That's fantastic honey!" Sookie exclaimed as she threw her arms around Lorelai and pulled her in for a hug. "What brought this on?"

"I don't know. Being single, I think. There's not all this pressure anymore. No one is picking fights with me, no one is shutting me out. . .† There is no one in my life I have to worry about making happy other than Paul Anka and as long as I keep the treats plentiful and walks brisk, he's good."

"What about Rory?"

"Rory is happily buried beneath tons of old smelly books, furiously writing papers and tests and articles for the paper. She's happy as long as I don't bug her over the phone. We're good too." Sookie chuckled and offered Lorelai a muffin to help soak up all the coffee in her stomach.

"And your parents?"

"Even they can't bring me down," she said. "I've cut back to diner once every couple of weeks and I love it."

"Well, maybe you should go see if this good mood is contagious," Sookie suggested as she stirred a sauce at the stove.

"Why? Who has the audacity to attempt to rain on my parade?" Lorelai demanded dramatically.

"Luke. He seems really down, more so than usual," Sookie commented.

"Oh," was all she could really say. "I should head back to the desk," she said absently as she wandered out.

Seeing as Michel was elsewhere at the moment, Lorelai sat herself down in his chair, pretending to be busy as she mulled over what Sookie said.

Luke was still her friend, even if they weren't exactly acting like it and she wasn't all that pleased to hear that something was bugging him. She wasn't positive, but we she was pretty sure that Luke didn't really have any one to complain to about things. Other than April. And possibly Kirk. But honestly, who wanted to confide in Kirk?

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

A few days later, hearing that all was still somber in Luke Land, Lorelai squared her shoulders and headed to the diner near closing time.

"Hey," he said, slightly shocked to see her this time of night. She had been coming in when there were plenty of people in the diner so they weren't forced to make small talk.

"Hey," she said with a bright smile as she headed toward the counter and sat down. "April here?" she asked.

He shook his head as he turned to the coffee, hesitating for a moment over giving her a to-go cup or a ceramic cup. He decided on the ceramic, the blue one that was hers.

"With her mom."

"Ah," she said as she accepted the coffee and they fell into an awkward silence. "So, how are you?" she finally asked.

"Good," he said firmly with a nod as he fidgeted with his cleaning rag. She looked at him for a moment. "Anna is moving to New Mexico and taking April with her," he finally blurted out.

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "Will you at least see her over the summer?"

"No idea," he said with a shrug. "I, uh, I think she might see this as her chance to keep April all to herself." Lorelai wasn't really sure what to say to this. When Rory was April's age, she would have jumped at the chance for Christopher to be as involved as Luke was.

"That's horrible," she said. "Is there anything you can do?"

"I hired a lawyer," he said. "She's been in and out of the diner to see me over the last month or so, it still doesn't look good."

"Blonde woman?" she asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Curious," she said, trying to sound casual. "I've driven past and seen you with this blonde woman, usually after you're closed. I just wondered. . . never mind, it's none of my business. If you need anything . . ."

"Thanks," he said with a small smile. "What about you?"

"I sighed the papers a few weeks ago," she said, playing with the rim of her coffee mug.

"Divorce papers?" She nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was never meant to be," she said with a sad smile. "I should never have married him and I knew it but I did anyways."

"Why?" She hesitated for a long moment. "I'm sorry, you really don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Because I wanted to get married. I wanted a middle and I was afraid that if I didn't accept his proposal I would never get another chance," she blurted out all at once. Luke stared at her for a moment.

"So. . . you ran off and married him because I didn't want to run off and marry you?"

"Yes. . . no. . . I don't know," she said, shaking her head. "He asked and he was so sure and had been so great and I was afraid," she trailed off. Luke stared at her.

"Afraid of what?"

"Afraid that if I said no I'd be alone and hurt again." She watched as Luke clenched his jaw.

"So this is all about you then? How hurt you were? How afraid you were?" he asked.

"No," she said, trying to figure out what exactly he was getting angry about.

"What about me? What about how I felt?"

"How did you feel Luke? I am dying to hear this."

"I had a kid, for Christ's sake! A 12-year-old daughter who showed up out of nowhere, and when I wanted time to get to know her, you wouldn't give it to me!" Lorelai figured out what this about now.

"I didn't give you time? You knew about her for two whole months before you even told me."

She paused briefly to correct herself.

"Sorry, before I walked into the diner and found out about her! You built this whole separate life with her from the one we were building. And then when I try to talk to you about it, you compare me to some cartoon character all the while you're breathing down my neck and lecturing me about how we have to be honest with each other and tell each other everything. What a load of shit!" she yelled back at him.

Neither noticed the small crowd that was beginning to gather outside the diner to watch and listen to the commotion they were causing.

"I just needed time to get to know her!"

"I was going to be your wife, Luke! I was going to have to help you raise her! Didn't I deserve a chance to get to know her too? Why couldn't I do that with you?"

"Why the hell didn't you say anything? I thought you were fine with the arrangements?"

"What arrangements? You left a Goddamned message on my answering machine telling me not to come by the diner while she was there!"

"You could have said something!"

"Why? So I could hear you give me the 'I need time to process' speech again? So I could lose you again?" she yelled at him, her resolve starting to falter as she tried to fight back the tears.

She was over him, was over what they had almost had. . . at least she was pretty sure she had been. Luke clenched his jaw again as his gathered his thoughts.

"You know what? I was going to tell you about her. I was going to tell you about her the night you showed me your wedding dress. But you were so beautiful and so happy that I just couldn't do it."

"So it's my fault again? For trying to get over that, what I thought was, an irrational fear? You are unbelievable!" she said, not believing what she was hearing. She got up from the stool and moved away from the counter.

"Jesus Christ!" he said as he followed her to the middle of the diner. "How the hell could I drop something like that? Something so big? I was terrified that you'd leave me right then and there and I wanted you to be happy! I wanted you to always be happy and beautiful in that dress. I still love you!" he yelled and they both fell silent with that revelation hanging in the air between them.

The stared at each other as they each worked to catch their breath and figure out where to go next with their argument.

"I felt a million times better after April's party. You had called me to help and we had had a great time. The party was fantastic, all the girls liked it and April liked me. She liked me Luke, but you were still the one she thanked and hugged and loved. I was so sure that things were going to change after that party. I was positive that you would change your mind and see that I could be part of April's life without over shadowing you and then nothing changed."

He blinked at her a few times. He opened his mouth to reply but she started up again. "I even went to Anna to try and smooth things over, to tell her that it was okay for her to leave April with me at her party because, hey, I'm a single mom, I know what it's like, and besides, you and me were getting married. And then she started talking about how a ring isn't a guarantee and she didn't think I should see April until we were married. So I backed off, I waited because I didn't want to hurt your chances at getting to know April."

"You shouldn't have gone to see Anna!" he yelled at her, getting his steam back. "You had no business to go to her!"

"What else was I supposed to do? Everyone, everyone had met your kid but me! Jess, Lane, Rory, the town, EVERYONE but me! And the more stories I heard about her, the more I realized the wedding was never going to happen. And then Lane got married and you know what? I started downing tequila, looking to feel good about something and before I knew it, there I was up on stage, making a fool of myself."

"Everyone gets drunk and sings bad songs at weddings."

"That was a great story, wasn't it? I really have to give Patty kudos for getting that around town so quickly."

"What do you mean?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I made this horribly embarrassing speech about why the hell could a 21-year-old-girl get her act together and get married while I couldn't even get a date set? And then I went on and on about how I was never going to get married and how Rory was going to get married before I ever got you to the altar, and it just kept going and going! Every hurt feeling, every fear was announced at that wedding, out for the whole town to hear!"

Luke could only blink a few times. He had no idea any of this had happened while he was away with April.

"And then you wouldn't elope. You, who had first even put the idea into my head, wouldn't go. You didn't love me enough to just go."

"I couldn't just go!"

"Why? What was holding you back? We could have picked up April and Rory and found some where, some place, some one to marry us! And then Anna would have been happy to let April come over because we would be forever and we could get to know her and live in our house and maybe have that theoretical kid we discussed once of twice."

"I wasn't ready!"

"Then why the hell were you magically ready the next morning? What changed in those 12 or so hours? What Luke? Tell me because I am dying to know what, or who, changed your mind when I couldn't!"

They stood in front of each other again, breathing hard as rage and adrenaline fuelled them.

"I loved you," she said finally when he didn't answer any of her questions. "For the first time in my life I truly loved a man and it wasn't awkward to sleep next to you like it was with Max or Alex and I found myself imagining our future when I daydreamed and I wanted to see your shirts mixed with mine in the closet. I wanted to get married and maybe have another kid and I still love you!" she said, tears starting to fall uncontrollably.

Luke stepped back from her for a moment and blinked at her. Her revelation shocked him just as much as his had shocked her.

"Lorelai," he said, reaching out for her.

"Don't touch me," she said as she shrugged him off. She wiped at her eyes and pushed past him to grab her bag. "I can't do this," she said as she dug threw her bag for her keys. "I can't just be Lorelai Gilmore when you're just the guy that serves my coffee," she said as she finally stormed past him and out into the night.

The small crowd that had gathered around the diner windows parted to let her through and Luke watched her until he saw her get into her jeep and pull away. It was then that he noticed the crowd staring at him.

"GO HOME!!" he yelled at them as he stomped over to the door and slammed it shut, causing the glass in the door to rattle. He slammed the lock to the left and stormed back to the counter. He started to go through the motions of closing for the night when his hand landed on Lorelai's coffee mug. He stared at it for a long moment before he picked it up and threw it across the diner, watching as it shattered against the wall, spraying coffee around the room.

He swore loudly when he realized what he had done. But instead of cleaning it up, he headed to the storeroom and ripped the flap off of one of the boxes. 'Gone Fishing!' was quickly scribbled on it. He tapped it to the window before he went upstairs to pack. He needed to get away, needed to figure this all out.

* * *

Lorelai had stopped crying by the time she got home and now she was just drained. She was still furious at Luke, but she was too empty to deal with it. The rage and adrenaline had left her system, and all she felt like doing now was curling up in bed, too tired to sleep. On reflex, she hit the answering machine and was greeted by a message from Chris. Gigi couldn't find a certain doll and a couple of books, Were they still at her place? The next one was from her mother and she deleted it without listening to it. She couldn't deal with Emily tonight. The last one was from Rory, a standard 'I'm Bored, Call Me' message and she decided to deal with that in the morning, too.

"Come on, Paul Anka," she called softly. "Mommy needs some unconditional love." The dog obediently followed her up the stairs, waited for her to dress for bed and crawl in before he joined her.

* * *

_Lorelai? Honey? It's Sookie. I really need you to call me. I'll be at work, at the Dragonfly, all day. Call me!_

_Mom, where are you? Sookie is freaking out and I'm starting to freak out too. You really, really, really need to call me. Or her. Or both of us. And soon, young lady!_

_Lorelai, it's your mother. I'm calling about the message I left the other night. You haven't gotten back to me about reserving the dinning room at your inn for the DAR. I need to know by today at 5 so I can take appropriate action._

Lorelai rolled over in bed, trying to fall back asleep after her mother had hung up. She knew that she should really call Sookie and Rory, tell them she was okay and just taking a personal day, but the phone was all the way downstairs and she really didn't have the energy or the drive to get out of bed at the moment. She still loved Luke. She had yelled it at him some point during their fight last night, some time after he had admitted the same thing. She tossed and turned for a while longer before drifting off into a troubled sleep.

_Lorelai? Honey it's nearly 4 in the afternoon and no one has heard from you. I even called Babette and all she's seen is Paul Anka going in and out of the house a couple of times today. I'm coming over right now, before I have to start cooking for the dinner rush!_

_Mom, Sookie's coming over to check on you. You better not have the door locked! Oh well, she knows where the spare key is so I guess it really doesn't matter. Mom, do you need me to come home? I can come home. The lull between regular school and finals has set in and if you need me to come home before I start studying I will. Please call me mom; I won't be able to study if I'm worried about you!_

_I have no idea where you are or what you're doing but this is just unacceptable, Lorelai! You've always run your business well and been good at interacting with customers and that's what I am. I pay full price when I book functions in the inn. Why on earth are you ignoring me this time? Fine, it doesn't matter. Sissy has already had the luncheon room at Horton's booked for us so I no longer require your services at this time._

"Big loss," Lorelai muttered as she heard the last message and rolled over to glance at her alarm clock. It was 4:15, and that meant Sookie would be there any minute. The idea of getting dressed and looking presentable fluttered through her head for all of three seconds before she simply threw off the covers and headed downstairs to make some coffee.

"Lorelai?" Sookie called as she bustled into the house. Lorelai didn't answer, she didn't want to, or couldn't. She wasn't really sure. "Honey! There you are!" she said as she hurried over. "What's wrong? What happened?" she asked when she saw the look on Lorelai's face.

She said nothing while waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. She poured herself a cup and headed back upstairs as Sookie followed.

"I went to Luke's last night," she finally said after she was back under the covers and had had a sip of coffee.

"And? I thought you and Luke were okay," she said as she sat on the bed beside Lorelai.

"It was just supposed to be a simple 'Hey, how ya doin'?' conversation and instead it turned into a huge fight."

"Okay," Sookie nodded, not really following how this fight led to wallowing.

"I just. . . I just need some time."

"You haven't wallowed like this since you and Luke broke up the first time," Sookie pointed out. "You didn't even wallow like this when you broke up the last time. What happened last night?"

"If I say I'm not as over him as I thought, would you accept it?"

"I suppose. For now."

"Then I'm not as over him as I thought I was," Lorelai said, taking another long pull from the coffee mug before she set it down on the table by the bed. Sookie looked at her best friend for another long moment.

"I guess I should go then," she said quietly.

"Don't want to keep those dinner guests waiting," Lorelai replied, finally looking at Sookie.

"I'm so sorry, Honey," she said quietly as she pulled Lorelai into a hug after seeing her face.

It had been a long time since she had seen Lorelai this broken down and it still hurt and worried her just as much as it had the last time.

"I'll call Rory. Tell her you have a touch of the flu and you'll call her when you're up and around again."

"Thank you," she said, hanging on to Sookie tightly for a few more moments.

"I'll bring something over after dinner."

"I'm not hungry, really," she said, finally pulling away.

"Some macaroni and cheese, maybe some pizza. . . lots of carbs," she said, already planning a menu in her head. "I'll pick up some movies too," she finished, ignoring Lorelai's protests. "I'll see you around 9," she said as she left the bedroom and headed for the stairs.

"No really," Lorelai said to no one but herself. "I'm ok."

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

Meanwhile, Luke wasn't doing much better. He called April on his way out to the woods saying that he had to go out of town for a few days and he wouldn't be at the diner. She had been disappointed, but had been satisfied with the lie that he was going to see Jess for the weekend.

Luke soon found himself in the middle of nowhere, setting up camp. When he was done, he sat on a fallen log, and played with the fire he had built.

He still loved Lorelai. He knew that he still loved her, that he had always loved her, and probably always would love her. Of course, he hadn't meant to tell her like he had. She just made him so angry these days. Everything she did made him want to yell at her, and he wasn't really sure why.

As he stared into the fire, he began to think about the fight the night before. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that it had been a fight about them. She didn't mention the fistfight he'd had with Christopher or any of their other awkward meetings in Stars Hollow.

Stars Hollow. Half the town must had watched the two of them scream at each other, and now they were all going to be talking amongst themselves about it. He groaned and buried his head in his hands as that thought ran through his head. Not only was he going to have to try and figure out himself and Lorelai, he also was going to have to deal with all those stupid nosey people at home.

* * *

Luke was right to worry about what the town was saying. Patty had had a front row seat to the fight, and she had been considering quashing rumors.

But as soon as Lorelai returned Luke's admission of love, that plan flew right out the window. At the moment, she was talking with Babette about the whole debacle.

"Haven't seen her all day," she told Patty. "I've seen Paul Anka wander in and out a few times, but no Lorelai. Sookie did stop by at one point, but she didn't stay for long and she was definitely not happy when she left."

"They're like two mules trying to pull the same cart in opposite directions," Patty said with a shake of her head, casting a glance towards the diner with its 'Gone Fishing!' sign tapped to the door.

"What are we gonna do?"

"Keep Taylor from holding a town meeting about the situation while they're both . . . unavailable," Patty replied.

There wasn't much else to do. No one knew where Luke went when he was fishing and no one really wanted to venture over to see what exactly Lorelai was up to.

"And the ribbons! No ribbons this time."

"Unless they're purple," Patty said as she and Babette nodded in agreement before heading toward Weston's for coffee.

* * *

Getting over the wallowing was harder than it had been the first time.

Not only did Lorelai have to deal with the whole Luke incident, everything she had been holding back from the divorce came out to hit her full force.

It took nearly four days for her to get out of bed, and another five to be ready to face the world again -- mostly because of an upcoming wedding at the inn.

Luke returned to life sooner than she had, mostly because he couldn't afford to have the diner closed much longer. He slammed around in the kitchen, burning the food and yelling at the customers, much like he had after the breakup. The only person who didn't seem to notice and whisper was Kirk.

"It's bad, Rory," Lane said over the phone one day. She had gone back to work a few days ago, and was a little shocked at what she walked into. "Remember last year?"

"The funky burgers?"

"Oh yeah. We are totally there again. What happened?"

"What do you mean?" Rory asked. Sookie had just talked about her mother having the flu.

"Seriously, don't hold out on me. I want details about the fight," Lane said, not understanding why her best friend was keeping it close to her chest.

"There was no fight. My mom had the flu," Rory insisted as she continued to peck at the keyboard of her computer, editing an article while chatting to Lane.

"No. . . there was no flu. There was a huge fight in Luke's after he closed, though. Yelling and screaming and confessions of love before your mom stomped out in tears and Luke went fishing for three days." There was a long pause. "Rory? Are you still there?"

"What fight? I wasn't told about any fight!" Rory saved the article and got up from the computer, pacing as Lane told her what she had heard. "Are you sure?"

"I heard it from Miss Patty, who saw the whole thing."

"Damn it!" Rory swore as she stomped her foot. She needed to go home, to be with her mother, but there wasn't time. The last issue of the paper was coming out that week, and she had to start studying for finals.

"How's mom? Is she okay?"

"I haven't seen her in town in a couple of weeks. Sookie and her kids have been making more than a few trips to your house, though."

Rory groaned as she scrubbed her hands over her face, already working on mentally scheduling the time to go home for a while. A baby's cry broke the silence over the phone.

"I'm sorry, I gotta run. Once one starts, the other usually follows."

"Yeah, I know. Go be a mommy," Rory said sadly.

"I'll call later," she said as she hung up. Rory sighed and hung up as well. She contemplated texting Logan but she knew there was nothing he could do except offer her some encouragement and she didn't really need that right now. So she did the only thing she could think of.

"Hey, it's me, the lovable Gilmore Girl! If you're looking for Rory, no dice! She's off at Yale!" The message on the answering machine greeted Rory.

"You, young lady, have some serious explaining to do! Telling me you had the flu when you were really wallowing? How is that kosher? Now I'm gonna be freaking out until I can see you. You better call me!" Rory called into the phone before hanging up. She tossed the phone onto the table as she flopped down onto the couch, trying to get herself centered to finish that article and then start studying.

* * *

"Where did you get that?" Luke demanded, pointing a finger at the purple ribbon April was wearing. It had been a couple of weeks since the fight in the diner and the town had been mercifully quiet about it.

"Kirk gave it too me," she said as she dropped her stuff under the counter and sat down on a stool. "He's giving them out to everyone who wants one."

"Take it off. Right now," he said.

"What? Why? I like purple," she said, placing her hand over it to hold it closer to her chest.

"Because I said so. Take it off. That goes for every one else in here, too. You wear one of those ridiculous ribbons, you will be thrown out!"

Luke cast a critical eye over the diner as patrons grumbled but took the ribbons off, shoving them into pocket and purses. He knew that as soon as they left, they'd put them right back on, but at least he wouldn't have to see them in his diner.

"It's just a ribbon, dad," April said as she took hers off, not understanding why it was such a big deal.

"No more taking ribbons from Kirk. In fact, never, ever take anything from Kirk again. Got that?" He asked, leaning on the counter to look her in the eye.

"Yeah, ok," she said, her eyes getting a little wider at this whole performance.

"Good. Now, what would you like to eat?" he asked her, slipping back to the normal Luke she knew.

* * *

"You have got to be kidding me," Lorelai muttered to herself when the site of purple ribbons all over town greeted her.

Her gaze settled on Kirk who had set up shop in the gazebo with the ribbons.

She grinned weakly and gave a small wave to a couple of people who did the same to her, but didn't tear her eyes away from Kirk. Her eyes narrowed and she pointed a finger at him. She was pleased to see him pale visibly when he finally noticed her.

He quickly tossed a few ribbons at the crowd before grabbing the bucket and making a run for it. She followed him with her eyes as he ran off down the street before turning abruptly and heading back the way she had come.

She couldn't remember what she had needed in the first place, so she decided it must not have been important.

* * *

"Ribbons!" Lorelai exclaimed into the phone. "Purple ribbons! All. Over. Town!!"

"Mom?"

"Do you know anyone else who would rave about ribbons?" she asked as she paced around the kitchen. "I'm going to kill Kirk. And then Taylor, because Taylor has to be the mastermind behind all of this. Kirk couldn't possibly come up with something like this on his own."

"Maybe this is a good thing."

"Ok, maybe it's because I didn't go to an Ivy League college, but I can't see how the town taking sides again is a good thing."

"They're not taking sides," Rory pointed out patiently. "The ribbons are purple. How do you make the color purple?"

"You put red and blue together. . . " Lorelai said after a minute when it dawned on her. "I'm shifting my blame to Patty and Babette," she said as she sank into a chair at the kitchen table.

"Probably a wise idea. So, what's the plan?"

"Town meeting tonight," Lorelai said firmly.

"No! I can't miss this!" Rory cried.

"Then start driving," Lorelai said firmly.

"I can't!" Rory moaned. "Exams! Study! Make them change it!"

"See ya kid," she said as they signed off, ignoring Rory's please to delay the meeting.

* * *

Luke quickly locked the diner after Anna had picked April up before he stalked across the square to the town meeting. He was going to put Taylor Doose in his place once and for all.

"Tell him to stop," he heard Lorelai said. He stopped just around the corner of the dance hall. "Tell him to stop and take the ribbons back."

"Lorelai, dear, you know Taylor will want to have a discussion and a vote on this," Patty replied casually.

"I don't care what Taylor wants to do. I want Kirk to stop with the ribbons."

"Oh, you know Kirk He won't stop until Taylor says so and that leads up back to the discussion and voting."

"Well, good for him but it doesn't matter because I'm pretty sure you put Kirk up to this," she said in an accusing tone.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Patty replied as she turned and quickly headed into the hall. Luke finally came around the corner in time to see Lorelai throw her arms up in the air and pace around a little, debating whether to go in or to simply walk away and hope it would all disappear if she ignored it hard enough.

"Oh!" she said when she bumped into Luke. He reached out to steady her. "It wasn't Taylor," she said to him quickly.

"I know. Taylor isn't smart enough to come up with something like this," he replied as he let her arm go. The two stood there, outside of Miss Patty's, with an awkward silence hanging over them.

"So, uh, should we go in?" she asked, gesturing awkwardly.

"We could," he said, looking intently at her.

"Um, maybe we should," she said, finally looking at him. "What are you doing?" she asked as he took a step closer to her.

"Just stand still," he said quietly as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him as he dipped his head to capture her lips.

She was stiff against him for a moment before relaxing into him. The din from the meeting disappeared as people fell silent to watch the performance.

When they finally pulled apart, she wobbled on her feet for a moment before stepping away from him to catch her breath. He took hold of her waist again and pulled her close. "I love you," he told her. "I can't run from it and I can't hide from it and God knows I tried."

"Why now?" she asked him quietly. "Why all of this, all of a sudden?"

"Because we're both stupid, stubborn fools," he said simply. "And one of us had to make the first move."

"I don't. . . I . . . I can't do this again," she said, pushing away from him. "I can't let this happen again."

"Why?" he asked, staring her in the eye.

"Because we're not ready. We can't just jump into this . . .this us again like nothing ever happened."

"I never said that. Why are you even suggesting I'd think such a thing?" he demanded, angry that she would even think that.

"Why are you the one that's getting mad?" she asked him as she furrowed her brow. "I didn't say anything about you saying or suggesting that!" As the pair of them started to battle it out again, the town gave a collective eye roll but didn't stop watching.

"That's right. You never say or suggest anything, I'm supposed to read your mind!" he yelled.

"That's right! Because you are the good one in our relationship! You're the one who always told me what you're thinking and what's going on in your life!" she shot back. "God! You are such a hypocrite!" she yelled, jabbing a finger in his direction.

"And you're nothing more than some selfish teenager who never grew up!"

"At least I own up to my mistakes and do go running off into the woods every time something goes wrong!"

"At least I didn't sleep with my ex when my big plans didn't turn out the way I had pictured them!" he shot back.

"At least I didn't make promises, commitments, I couldn't keep!" she shouted at him as she stepped closer to him. "What happened to eloping to Martha's Vineyard and lobster at our wedding?"

"What happened to it being okay to postpone the wedding? When did it stop being okay not to rush into things?" he countered.

"It stopped being okay when you stopped including me in your life! It stopped being okay when we stopped having sex and you didn't seem to notice!"

The audience started to buzz at that revelation, but Luke and Lorelai didn't notice. They were too busy trying to hurt each other.

"So why the hell didn't you say anything?"

"If you loved me so damned much, why didn't you notice?" She stared at him long and hard. "Well?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and waiting for his answer. "That's what I thought. So much for being all in, huh Luke?" she said in a parting shot as she turned on her heel and headed home.

Luke watched her go for a moment before he turned and headed back to the diner.

"So," Kirk spoke up after a minute or two of silence. "Should we get the pink and blue ribbons out again?"

* * *

Lorelai got about half way home before she turned around and headed back towards town, towards the diner. She was going to finish this once and for all.

She was going to march into that diner and they were going to have it out once and for all. They were going to yell and scream and cry and fight until everything was out in the open and they could finally put this all to rest.

"Luke!" she yelled as she pounded on the door. She could see him in the back of the diner. "Open the door!"

"Why? We're done!" he called back, not moving any closer to the door.

"No we're not! We are going to finish this here, tonight!" they stared at each other for a long moment before he finally came over and opened the door to let her in.

She marched in and began to push chairs and tables to the sides of the room. She wanted them to be able to move around and not have things to hide behind while they were discussing. Much to her surprise, he did the same on the other side of the room. She dumped her things on one of the tables and came to stand in the middle of the room, arms crossed. He joined her after a moment, neither willing to go first.

"So? Go on then," he said to her with a nod. "This was your idea."

"I was all in, Luke. All in. I was ready to build a life with you, to let you in the secret Gilmore Girls clubhouse with an all access pass. I've never been willing to do that for anyone, let alone a man."

"And I wanted that, but I had to think of April."

"Of April or of Anna?" she asked him. "Every decision you made about that girl seemed to be based on what would make Anna happy."

"Of course! If she wasn't happy, then I couldn't see April."

"Then why the hell didn't you sit down with her and hammer out a solid plan? You plan everything, why the hell didn't you plan that?"

"She's my kid! I shouldn't have to stick to a schedule when I want to see her!"

"So what? I should have just stood around, twiddling my thumbs, waiting for you to get to know her and for Anna to be happy with the situation? I should have put my life on pause while you got all your ducks in a row?"

They had started to move around in the space they had cleared, almost circling each other as they fought.

"We don't all run a warp speed!" he yelled at her. She was so angry she didn't even crack a smile at the Star Trek reference. "We can't all make split second decisions about everything. We can't all just jump in head-first and damn the consequences."

"I know. That's why you talk to the people you love about things! Let them know what the hell is going on so they can help and offer support!"

"Like you did when Rory was born?"

"Leave her out of this, this is not about me and Rory, this is about you and me," she said in a tone that made Luke back away from the subject.

"Then leave April out of this. This isn't about us and her."

"Yes it is! Why can't you see that? This has always been about her and us! I can guarantee you that we wouldn't be here right now, having this fight if you had come to me and told me about her coming into the diner and stealing your hair! Hell, if you had let me meet her after you started spending time with her, we wouldn't be here!"

"So you're psychic now?"

"No, but I would still have been part of your life!" she said, working hard not to cry out of sheer exhaustion and frustration. "I would have waited without questioning you or your need for time if you had let me in!"

She didn't understand why this was such a hard concept for him to understand.

"What about you and Christopher? Why were you always sneaking around with him?" he asked, changing the subject.

"One time," she said. "I did that one time."

"And we broke up because of it."

"No. We broke up because Christopher got liquored up at my parents vow renewal after my mother invited him in some sick attempt to get her perfect ending."

"I seem to recall a last minute confession at that vow renewal as well," he pointed out as they both came to a stop, still facing each other.

"And that was stupid of me to keep it from you," she agreed. "But after that? After we got back together, did I ever keep things like that from you?"

"No," he grudgingly admitted. A small look of vindication came over her face.

"Were you punishing me?" she suddenly asked. "For Christopher, were you punishing me by keeping me away from April?"

He thought about this for a moment.

"Absolutely not," he finally said.

"Why the hesitation?"

"I was having an aneurism," he quipped. "I kept April from you because I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't know how you'd react and all I could ever see happening was you leaving me and I couldn't let that happen."

"And that just worked so well. . ." she said as she rolled her eyes and slumped against the counter.

"I was worried that she'd like you better than me. You're fun and smart with a quick wit and always seem to know what kids like and want to do to have fun. You draw kids to you, especially little girls, effortlessly while I scare them away. I needed time! I needed her to have a chance to get to know me, to like me, love me, before I introduced her to you." Luke leaned against a table as they both collected themselves.

"It wouldn't have been like me and Rory," she told him after a moment as she moved away from the counter and towards the middle of the room again. "Me and Rory. . . we ended up the way we did because we had no one else for so long. Until she started school and met Lane, I was her everything and Mia was almost her grandmother. April . . . April had so much more than Rory did," she concluded, almost sadly, as she sank to the floor to sit.

She looked up at Luke for a moment and finally he came and joined her, sitting across from her. "I really wish you had told me."

"I wish I had, too," he admitted as he played with his shoelaces. "I wish you had said something, about how unhappy you were."

It was on the tip of her tongue to snip back that he should have noticed, but she didn't.

"So do I," she said. She knew he was right and she should have said something. "I was afraid of pushing you away."

"I'd say I did that just fine by myself," he said with a small chuckled. A small smile began to twitch at the corners of her mouth.

"So, um, anything else we need to get out in the open?"

"Why Christopher? Why go to him?"

"Because I had cried on Sookie and Jackson's couch the night before and Rory was throwing Logan a going-away party that night. I couldn't go home and I didn't know where else to go," she said truthfully. "I didn't go there with the intention of sleeping with him. I was upset and needed a friend to talk to. And then he pulled out old Jose and, as usually, his magical powers took over and I ended up in his bed, naked, as usual."

She looked everywhere but at him before settling her gaze on her own shoelaces. They had been bright pink with black stars at one point in time. Now they were dirty and the ends were tattered.

Lorelai looked up in surprise when she heard him move and was more than a little shocked to see that he had moved to sit beside her, his knee touching hers.

"I miss you," he said, taking her hand and lacing his fingers through hers. "I miss you as a friend, my best friend."

"Me too," she said, her voice a little shaky.

"So, You'll be here tomorrow for breakfast?" he asked her, still holding her hand. "I'll save a seat at the counter."

"Ok," she said, nodding her head as she cast a glance at their hands before bringing her eyes up to his face. He smiled when she finally looked at him and he stood, helping her up off the floor. He let go of her hand and grabbed her things for her as she brushed off her jeans. "The tables. . . "

"I can do it," he told her, handing her her things. "Go home, I'll see you in the morning."

"See you in the morning," she said softly as she slipped out of the diner and headed home. He watched her disappear into the night before he began moving the tables around.

* * *

Lorelai did show up the next morning for breakfast and she sat at the counter.

"Where's the blue mug?" she asked when he presented her with a large pink one.

"It had an unfortunate run in with the door," he said before leaving to take an order, giving her no time to question him.

Breakfast went smoothly and he asked her if he could expect her again tomorrow. She paused for a moment but eventually agreed that yes, chances were good. Mercifully, the ribbons never reappeared and no one talked about the very loud, very public fight they'd had in front of the town that night and for that, both of them were extremely grateful.

* * *

As time passed between the two of them, their relationship started to fall back into what it had been before they had started dating. She had him wrapped around her little finger, and he didn't fight it.

"April, you remember Lorelai, right?" Luke asked one day a while later when April showed up and Lorelai was still lingering over after dinner cups of coffee.

"My friends still talk about my birthday," she said as she took a seat beside Lorelai at the counter.

"Good. I'd hate to think my reputation was slipping," she answered with a smile. Luke stood back and watched them interact as he waited on the few remaining customers. April called out to him eventually and he ventured over and joined in the conversation, listening, as Lorelai was actually able to discuss some of the things April was learning about in school.

"I should go," April finally said. "I have home work to finish."

"Well, don't go and get too smart," Lorelai said with a smile. "You're too cute for a swelled head."

April chuckled and grabbed her bag, saying good-bye to Lorelai as she headed up stairs. "I should probably go to," she said, leaving some money on the counter. "Let you close up, spend some time with your kid while I go harass mine over the phone."

"Hey, you maybe wanna go catch a movie some time?" he asked her when she was just about out the door.

"Like. . . a date?"

"Freak you out?"

"A little," she replied honestly, her hand resting on the door handle.

"Then no, not as a date. Consider it part of my education," he said with a small grin.

"My place," she said suddenly. If they were going to do this, they were going to do it on her turf. "Saturday night, 8 o'clock. Bring April if you have her. I'll bring Rory."

"Sounds good," he agreed with a nod. "See ya tomorrow."

"Yeah, tomorrow," she said as she left. "I think I'm going on a not date date with Luke," she told Rory over the phone when she got home.

"A not date date with Luke?" Rory asked, putting her book down. This conversation was obviously going to require her full attention.

"And you have to come. I told him to bring April if he has her, and I said I'd bring you so you have to come. Saturday night."

"Sure," she said. "I'll be there with bells on."

* * *

The not-a-date date had gone well. April and Rory had hit it off like they had known each other for years. And with them there, the awkward factor was cut way down.

Within a month, their not date dates were a regular occurrence. Some times both kids were there, and some times it was just them. They had officially reached pre-relationship friendship again, and they both were reveling in it. Luke would listen patiently as Lorelai ranted about the latest Friday night dinner, and she would return the favor when he needed someone to complain to about the custody hearings.

The town was cautious about the renewed relationship between the diner owner and the inn owner. Patty and Babette both realized that it was a fragile thing this time around, and they treated the relationship with distance and respect. The rest of the town did, too. There were no cracks about how they were finally back together and hopefully they could make it work this time. People bit their tongues and kept their distance, coming in only when invited by the pair.

* * *

Lorelai had casually mentioned to Rory one day about how they didn't need a chaperone any more, and Rory had nearly spit her coffee across the Gilmore's kitchen. She knew that they were friends again, but she hadn't realized that they had moved to dating in only a few short months.

"You're okay with this, right?"

"If he makes you happy, I don't see how I couldn't be," Rory replied with a smile that Lorelai returned.

"I think things are going to work out this time," she said, playing with the rim of her coffee mug.

"Don't play things too close to your chest," Rory cautioned. "Don't keep it all bottled up."

"Fool me once," Lorelai said with a nod.

"Good luck," Rory said, raising her coffee mug in a small salute to her mother. Lorelai smiled as she returned it and their conversation quickly drifted back to lighter topics.

Her parents had had an opinion on matters as well, but they weren't the opinions Lorelai had been expecting.

"You only find your soul mate once, Lorelai," her father had told her quietly as the evening drew to a close.

"I know," she said with a nod, tears pricking at her eyes over the fact that her father would say something so meaningful to her.

Emily held her tongue when Lorelai had announced that she and Luke were seeing each other again and she had appreciated that. She had arrived that evening, ready to do 10 rounds with her mother over this decision but the battle never started.

"Don't lose yourself again," was all Emily said as she bid her daughter good night.

* * *

"I was wondering," Luke said one night when they were the only two left in the diner.

"Yes?" she prompted.

"I want to take you out," he said. "I want to take you out to a nice dinner, maybe even some dancing," he said confidently as he watched her reaction. "I want to have an awkward meeting at your door and at the truck and afterward, I want some suspense before I kiss you good night and leave you on your porch to think about what just happened before you rush in to call Rory and tell her all about it."

"You hate dancing," was all she said.

"But you don't," he answered simply. "I was thinking somewhere in Hartford. Not to upscale, but nothing with jeans either. Something mildly GQ-y."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Okay," she said after a pause. "Okay, but you can't promise dancing and then not deliver."

"Gotcha," he said as he handed her a to-go cup of coffee. "I'll call you after I have the reservation made."

"Good," she said as she stood up from the stool.

"Good night Lorelai," he said with a smile. She gave him a saucy little smile as she sauntered out of the diner and headed home, enjoying the mild evening.

* * *

"So," she said when they found themselves on her porch after their date.

"So," he replied, leaning against the doorframe slightly.

"Do you want to come in? Have some tea?"

"Sure," he said, not really sure where this was going. They went in and she made tea for him and coffee for her. She offered him a pop tart, but he declined so she did as well. They eventually fell into a rambling conversation that just didn't seem to want to end.

"You're stalling," he said, finally calling her on it.

"I am," she admitted with a sigh, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand.

"Why?"

"Because I want more," she said truthfully. He looked at her across the table and he understood.

"There will be," he said as he stood and pulled her with him. "Many more dinners, many more movie nights with the girls, many more everything," he said, the last part in a whisper as he leaned in to kiss her.

It was long and slow and gentle and she melted into it, snaking her arms up around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist and pulled her close. The fit together like they had every other time they had kissed but something unidentifiable was different this time.

"Good night Lorelai Gilmore," he whispered when they finally pulled apart. He rested his forehead against hers for a moment before he pulled away and headed slowly for the door.

"Good night Mr. Danes," she said when they reached the door. He kissed her once more before he left and she stood in the doorframe and watched as he got into his truck and pulled away.

With a happy sigh she finally closed the door and returned inside. Her eyes fell on the phone and she contemplated calling Rory to tell her what had just happened, but she decided against it. She wanted this to be theirs, hers and Luke's, just for a little while. 

What they had was still so fragile and new that she was afraid it would fall apart if they thrust it into the world too quickly. So, instead of calling Rory, she simply put the used dishes in the sink, turned off the lights and called Paul Anka to follow her to bed.

* * *

"It's going really well, Rory," Lorelai said as she talked to Rory over the phone. She had moved down to New York to freelance while living with Logan.

"Are you sure?" she asked, casting a critical eye over an article she was working on.

"I am," she said confidently, and Rory was sure she could hear the smile. "Some nights? Nothing but talking."

"Good," she said, hitting the save button. "When do I get to start calling him 'daddy'?"

* * *

"Don't go," she said softly a few dates later. Luke hesitated on the porch. He had been aching to be with her for a while now, but he was afraid of pushing her.

"Lorelai," he started.

"I wouldn't be inviting you in if I wasn't ready," she said as she pulled on the lapels of his leather jacket again, bringing him forcefully into the house.

"Rory," he stated again.

"Is a big girl who is living with Logan in New York for the foreseeable future," she assured him as she closed the door and shut off the porch light. She slipped her hands under his jacket and slipped it off his shoulders, hanging it up by the door.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered to her finally as he pulled her in for a searing kiss which she eagerly returned. Her hands ran up his back until they tangled in his hair. One of his was at the small of her back, pulling her lithe frame tightly against his as the other tangled in her curls.

"You want to know a secret?" she asked him when they pulled apart and she began to lead him up the stairs.

"What?" he asked with a mildly amused smile.

"You are totally getting lucky tonight," she informed him with a giggle that he quickly silenced as they made it into the bedroom.

Luke immediately went for the zipper that he knew ran down the side of the dress as hers went to his shirt, working to get all the small buttons undone while she kicked off her heels. He stumbled a little as she was suddenly a few inches shorter and they both laughed as he shrugged off his shirt and she shimmied out of the dress.

They were instantly back in each other's arms and he was slowly leading her towards the bed and when she finally fell back onto it, he was right on top of her, following her down.

"You're over dressed," she muttered against his lips.

"Fix it then," he told her as he busied himself with her bra. She took his advice and quickly had his belt and pants undone as he kissed his way down her neck, paying attention to the indentation where her neck met her collarbone.

He smiled a little as she sighed contentedly. "Better?" he asked, pulling away from her to shuck his pants and shoes.

"Much," she said as she eagerly pulled him back down. His hands quickly found her breasts as hers relearned the curves of his chest and arms. She arched under him and gave a quiet moan as he brought his mouth down to her breasts and he echoed with one of his own as her hands skimmed over him and it wasn't long before they were naked and he was holding himself up above her.

"You're still. . . ?"

"Yeah," she said breathlessly as she guided him in. They both groaned at the contact and he buried his face in her neck for a moment before he started to move.

They had done these countless times before but something was different this time and neither could tell exactly what it was but as he snaked a hand down between them and she finally cried out his name, neither really cared.

They lay quietly afterwards, wrapped in each other's arms, afraid to break the still peace that settled over the room

"I love you," she finally whispered. "I never stopped loving you. I think I just forgot for a while," she said as she rolled over slightly to pillow her head on his chest. He squeezed her shoulders tightly for a moment.

"I think we both did what we needed to do," he replied in a whisper as well. "We needed to grow up a little more before we were ready. Needed to get some things out of the way," he finished.

No specifics were mentioned, but they both understood. On some level, Lorelai had needed to take one last stab with Christopher and he had needed to do things with April on his own.

"I was thinking," he said after another long moment of comfortable silence. "Maybe April could stay over here this weekend, in Rory's room." He played with the ends of her hair as he waited for her to answer.

"I think that would be good," she said with a smile. He kissed the top of her head, still playing with her hair as they both drifted off, naked and happy, in the moonlight.

* * *


End file.
